Monday, October 25, 2010

Mofi continues their foray into Seventies rock, with their reissue of the 1977 self-titled debut from British-American rockers, Foreigner. Released at the peak of the disco craze, Foreigner offered an appealing alternative, with its mixture of straight-ahead rockers, such as Headknocker, radio-friendly mid-tempo numbers such as Cold As Ice and Feels Like The First Time, and a smattering of progressive and psychedelic influences--including an homage to the Who's Tommy, in the form of a coda to side one's closer, The Damage Is Done. The album rose to #4 on the Billboard North American album charts, and went on to earn two top ten singles.

The Vinyl and PackagingThe 180 gram vinyl arrived clean, flat, and played quietly--which is the usual for Mofi vinyl. Housed only in a standard cover, one can surmise that the lack of any significant artwork on the original release, influenced Mofi's decision to skip the gatefold on this one.

(Foreigner, 1977)

The Sound Compared to the original vinyl mastering by George Piros, this half-speed mastering by Rob Loverde is more dynamic, has more bass and punch, and adds extension in both the highs and lows. While the original vinyl doesn't sound bad, the heavier, more rocking songs can sound a bit congested and midrange-heavy. This audiophile reissue from Mofi remedies that issue with a sound that is more open, allowing the harder rocking songs to breathe and sound just as good as the rest of the album.

If Foreigner's first album is on your list of Seventies guilty pleasures, you'll want to pick up this very good sounding reissue from Mofi. And if your favorite album from the band is one of their later releases--mine is Double Vision, don't despair as Mofi is likely planning more Foreigner reissues in 2011.